1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to methods of transportation. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for transporting livestock. Specifically, the invention relates to a method for transporting poultry in a coop trailer that includes a tarpaulin system and in which a tarpaulin is drawn across the trailer to cover the poultry cages during transport to reduce the number of deaths of the birds from buffeting and exposure.
2. Background Information
One of the most common ways for transporting poultry around the country from farm to farm or from farm to processing plant is through the use of large, specially designed transport trucks called coop trailers. These coop trailers typically have several tiers of cages within them into which the poultry is loaded. In the winter months, the birds tend to huddle together to keep warm and in the summer they fight for shade. This causes the weaker birds to suffocate. Furthermore, the rapid flow of air through the coop trailer as it travels along the highways can lead to the birds losing a lot of feathers. This decreases their ability to stay warm in winter and cool in summer and consequently leads to a greater loss of life. These losses increase the costs of transporting and processing poultry.
There is therefore a need in the art for providing a coop trailer and method for transporting poultry which tends to aid in reducing the number of deaths of the birds during transportation.